Flying with an infant

I'm planning to fly short haul soon and in a couple of months long haul with an infant. Would be interested to hear from anyone for advice on the following:


Can baby sleep comfortably in the onboard 'cot'? Is it big enough for a 6 month old? Does it have a mattress and/or what should I take to go into it e.g. blankets etc.


Advice on arranging feeds for the long haul flight as I understand I cant take hot water on board. How do you manage to warm baby's bottle? I planned to buy water before boarding and take powder formula - is this the way to go or any other suggestions? If so, what's the chances of getting water warmed?


When you fly to a different time zone, how do you manage with feed times / sleeps - obviously dont want to be up feeding through the night and sleeping through the day. I will be in Europe.


Tips on what to take on board for baby?


Packing for baby, should I take a holdall just for baby or put the baby's clothes etc into my own case to limit luggage.


Any suggestions/advice about flying long-haul or even short-haul (beach holiday) are most welcomed as my first time to do this and really not sure the best way to go about it.

"Can baby sleep comfortably in the onboard 'cot'? Is it big enough for a 6 month old? Does it have a mattress and/or what should I take to go into it e.g. blankets etc."


Yes, yes and it does have a decent mattress. Some babies may not like the new environment so bring a favorite blanket/grobag and toy from home.


Note that you need to pre-book a cot and there are no guarantees that you will get one. An option is to book an extra seat and bring your car seat to plonk in there.



"Advice on arranging feeds for the long haul flight as I understand I cant take hot water on board. How do you manage to warm baby's bottle? I planned to buy water before boarding and take powder formula - is this the way to go or any other suggestions? If so, what's the chances of getting water warmed?"


Warming a bottle is seldom a problem. There are hot water taps on all but the smallest airliners. Cabin crew will gladly warm a bottle for you and/or provide hot water. Be nice and try to avoid meal times as they are quite busy then (a little planning goes a long way). If you are alone, ask as they pass or use the call button. If you are traveling with someone, have him/her go to the galley and ask.


You can buy water after security check but some airlines still don't allow it on board. On board hot tap water is sterile (since it tends to be very hot) but can have a little residue. This residue should not be harmful, and in any case exposure will be extremely limited so no worries.


One tip is to measure powder into as many bottles as you will need (plus a spare or two). That way you only need to add water and shake as you need formula. Measuring powder while juggling baby in an aircraft seat is not my idea of fun.



"Packing for baby, should I take a holdall just for baby or put the baby's clothes etc into my own case to limit luggage."


I would minimize carry-on luggage. You'll be hauling a bunch of stuff anyway. A tip for later when your kid eats solids is to pack all the liquid/gel in one bag since you need to show this explicitly to security. Baby food is exempted from the "no liquids" rule.



"Tips on what to take on board for baby? "


Favorite toy and blanket. Change of clothes or two. Mostly it's about realizing that you will not have time for anything but baby. Forget sleep, reading, even eating. These may be possible but should be seen as a bonus. If your significant other is coming, beat this fact into his/her head as well.



"When you fly to a different time zone, how do you manage with feed times / sleeps - obviously dont want to be up feeding through the night and sleeping through the day. I will be in Europe."


Same as for adults. Try to adjust the feeds and sleeps to the new time zone as fast as possible. If necessary add extra naps and snacks. Kids tend to adapt quickly.




Last tip: don't give a soiled diaper to the cabin crew to throw away. I have seen people do this and it is not very nice. Bring some plastic bags for the purpose. These you can give. A better option is of course to change baby in the bathroom. The majority of airliners have at least one bathroom with a changing table that folds down.



"if i remember correctly it was "am i crazy?" or something like that.."


Just about sums it up. ;)

cabin crew will supply water and warm it for you, just add formula and your good to go

One more thing. Bring your stroller all the way to the aircraft. You can fold it at the aircraft door and it will be gate checked. When you disembark, they will bring it to the door again. So don't forget to pick it up. ;)

We took our first long haul with our daughter when she was 6mo old, and one of the outbound flight attendants asked us if we wanted to stagger our meals -- we'd never have thought of it, but it was such a blessing -- she brought one before the main service started [with the veg, kosher, etc. meals] and one after the main service ended. It meant that we both got to eat -- yay!


Not all kids time adjust easily. Ours slept very well on the plane, so we actually got a chance to sleep, read, eat, etc. during the flight, but the time adjustment was so traumatic that we send tickets to her grandparents to visit us here rather than doing that again. We might try again when she's a teenager....

I take on some snacks / food for me to eat if I am travelling alone. As "Z" states it is not easy to juggle baby and a meal tray so I only take the drink and eat a ssandwich and fruit, or have something to eat at the airport before getting on the plane. Not as if plane food is that special anyway.


Take a change of clothes for you too - saw one dad who had been thrown up on and then had to stay in that tshirt for the rest of a 10 hour flight - not fun.


I always take a couple of hours rest before the flight even if just to relax so I am prepared for the fact that I mightnt get a lot of sleep during flight or for the day afterwards. And if you can line up some help at the other end, a friend or family who can take the baby out for a walk for a few hours so you can grab a nap.